Production of Ford Explorer SUVs Starts in Russia

Ford Motor Co. has begun making its Explorer SUV in southern Russia, marking the first time the model as been fully built outside the U.S.

Previously, the Explorer had only been assembled abroad from kits.

The vehicle is being produced at the company's Ford Sollers Holding LLC plant in Elabuga, Tatarstan. The 50:50 venture with assembler OJSC Sollers was launched in October 2011 to coordinate local production, imports and distribution of all Ford vehicles, parts and accessories in Russia.

The partnership said previously that it aims to achieve annual output of as many as 350,000 Ford brand cars and commercial vehicles by 2014. The venture also makes the Transit commercial van in Tatarstan and produces Ford Focus and Mondeo cars at a factory outside St. Petersburg.

Ford sales in Russia rose 11% to 130,800 units, many of them imported, last year. SUVs and crossovers including the Explorer, Kuga, C-Max and S-Max accounted for about 6% of the total.